Make Sure the Current Pauses at Your Door
by callmesandy
Summary: Jo knows Henry's secret and he doesn't know she knows. au from ep 6.


Notes:

For Joanne_c.

not mine, no profit garnered. title from Tanya Donnelly's Another Moment. Thanks to the Jam for beta help. All mistakes mine. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sean believed in ghosts. He believed in the supernatural. He swore Jo not to tell because it wasn't a good look for an ADA. She indulged him. Jo thought it was at least a little ridiculous.

Then she discovered Henry's secret. She'd only known him a month and a half, but she had trusted him. She still did, odder still. If Henry was magic, then magic was real and somewhere Sean still was with her and was probably saying, "I was right!" It was comforting, in a way.

It was life-changing. It was liberating. There was more to this world than she had expected, there was more to life than she had thought. She was one day going to die and not disappear in a flash of light. She should not waste time.

It was irritating in many other ways. She didn't tell Henry what she had seen in the Frenchman's store. She sat numbly as the Lieutenant talked to her, and when Henry found her that night, she was equally dumbfounded at Henry's being there, healthy and full of his usual weird advice.

Then their next case came and the case after that. She listened to Henry say that to know everything he did he would have to live a very long life and talking like Jack the Ripper might still be alive. He just acted like it was impossible anyone would believe him so he could say anything he wanted.

Jo really hoped Jack the Ripper wasn't alive.

She picked a day when she knew Henry and Abe were out and broke into the store. She went downstairs to the so-called sex dungeon. Of course it wasn't all for sex. It only took her 10 minutes to find Henry's notes. His insane notes about all his lives.

They had another case. He tried to take a bullet for her and she was tempted to let him. He would live again, after all. But she didn't want to reward Henry. He couldn't swan around with his smug "jokes" and not be forced to tell her himself. It was such a stupid reason, she could barely admit it in her head.

She was angry, though, at him. She went to the shooting range with the Lieutenant and did her work. Instinct, no thought. No time to decide whether Henry should be exposed or not. Then she called him. She said, "Come meet me. I promise to try your cognac."

"It would be a pleasure, though you certainly don't have to entice me with any offers," he said.

"Noted," she said.

He was perfectly pressed, vest, scarf, tailored everything. He was, as he'd said to her about herself, objectively beautiful. They talked ancient weapons, her idea. She wondered how many of them he'd met up close. She watched his mouth. She concentrated on his hair. There was no flash of light and healthy comeback waiting for her, but there was this instant, this ridiculous man.

Jo said, "How is your arm?"

"Quite good," he said. "Healing quickly."

She said, "You don't really have all those things for sex?"

He blinked at the non-sequitur. Then he said, "Oh, when we met and you thought I was a villain. No, no, I lied. Only very few of them are for sex. The rest is research."

"Research into sex?" She grinned at him.

He smiled at her and there was a glint of something in his eyes. She definitely wanted to see that again. He said, "No, into life. And pain."

"How do you say that and not come off as completely ridiculous? I could not do that," she said.

"Oh, you could," Henry said. "I am quite sure if you set your mind to it."

She couldn't think of anything to say. She opened her mouth to and waited for whatever words would come. She said, "Sex." She turned in her seat and pulled on his gorgeous pink scarf. She tasted his cognac on his tongue as they kissed. He didn't kiss like someone over a hundred years old. He kissed like he was alive and vital and wanted her.

Sadly, he was slightly less drunk and he pulled back. He said, "Jo, we shouldn't be hasty."

"Is this being hasty?" She put down cash for her last drink and another generous tip. She got off her stool and stood very close to him. "Henry, I really want to trust you." She wanted to know he was real.

He looked at her with a concerned furrow in his forehead. "You can absolutely trust me, Jo. We're partners."

He stood up himself, so close she felt his breath. He had his arm around her waist before she noticed he had moved. He said, "I am concerned that if we take this step, it could impede our partnership."

"Why would it?" She leaned into him, her hands pressing against his expensive coat.

"I cannot think of a reason right now," he said.

"Then take me home before you think of one," she said.

They kissed in the cab. Henry rubbed her thigh, slow and sensual. He paid for the cab and, she noticed, also tipped very generously. She liked that in a person. She walked backwards up the steps until Henry had her back pressed against the front door. He kissed her, one hand in her hair, the other hand already under her shirt, palm hot against her stomach. "Detective," Henry said, and his voice made her thighs tremble. "I think this will go better inside though I am certainly amenable to continuing this out here if you like that idea."

"My neighbors wouldn't like that idea," she said. "Maybe next time." She shook him off and unlocked the door, letting them both in. Then she leaned against the door and stepped out of her shoes.

Henry said, "Please let me." He eased off her blazer, his fingers soft on the inside of her arms. He somehow managed, Henry-like, to leave the blazer on the floor almost elegantly laid out. Then he did the same to her blouse, this time he fleetingly touched her chest, her stomach, her waist. He looked at her the whole time, his eyes dark. He leaned forward and kissed her again. His hands went behind her and deftly unhooked her bra. She shivered as he discarded it, but not from the cold air.

He kissed her jaw and then her neck. She loved the feel of his stubble. He held her breasts, teasing her nipples. By the time he kissed his way down to her left breast, she was wet and moaning. She held his head, his hair was soft.

He sunk to his knees as his mouth and hands went to her pants. He removed them, touching her ass and thighs and calves. He lifted her feet one at a time so she stepped out of her pants. She pressed her hands against the door and tried not to come just from Henry taking off her clothes.

His hands were holding her up, pressing on the front of her thighs. His warm open mouth moved around her upper thighs so close to where she wanted him. She imagined her underwear was embarrassingly wet. Then she felt Henry's mouth right on the seam of her boring cotton hipster underwear. She moaned loudly.

He pulled her underwear down fast. Then he lifted her right foot again, moving quickly so she didn't immediately understand how her leg was over his shoulder and his tongue was already thrusting inside her. She was all sound and feelings, moaning and pushing herself down on his tongue and fingers. He didn't stop when she came. Finally she pushed him away and he guided her down so she was kneeling on her hardwood floor.

She smiled at him. He was so very dressed. She wasn't one for the seductive stripping, it was another thing she couldn't pull off. She and Henry made quick work of his many layers until he was only in his plaid boxers. He was also hard. She pulled down his boxers enough to lick and suck the tip of his penis. He wasn't circumcised which didn't surprise her. His back arched and he grabbed at her hair. "Jo," he said, almost with a note of begging.

She pushed his boxers all the way down. He said, "Jo, I know you're back on the pill but this seems a good time to ask about other issues."

She laughed at how articulate he could be. Of course, he had noted and filed away that she was on the pill, she didn't even want to know how he'd known. She said, "I have no STDs, Henry, how about you?"

"None, none, good, carry on." He laughed a little, sitting up on his elbows.

She lowered herself onto him, it felt utterly fantastic. Henry sat up, holding her ass as he fucked her. Then he held her breast while his other hand went down to caress her clit. It felt even more fantastic, bathed in bliss.

He came and then she did again and they were panting, sitting on a very cold floor. She said, "We should get up."

"I will need a few more moments," Henry said. He kissed her neck.

"And we didn't need any of your sex toys," she said. Her legs were jelly. She wiggled her toes.

"They are more for a second date," Henry said. He stood up and pulled her up with him. "And someone who wants to use them."

They ended up in her bed. She didn't think she had the stamina for another round but she was wrong. This time Henry was on top and she admired his very fit legs.

She woke up at 3 am. Henry was walking around her bedroom, naked. "I like this view," Jo said.

"I was looking for your laundry basket or where you put things for the dry cleaner," he said.

She laughed. "Put them in a pile in the closet and I'll deal with it later."

Henry did as she instructed and got into the bed with her. He said, "Maybe we shouldn't try for a second date."

"You didn't have fun?" She was almost tempted not to fight about it. Let everything lie. But she couldn't pretend to herself she didn't know. The world had magic in it, with all the horror and grime. She'd just fucked a little of the good stuff.

"I had a marvelous time," Henry said. "But I worry."

"Let me guess, I'll get hurt, I'll be in danger -" she didn't want to give away she knew. She wanted, suddenly, for Henry to care enough to tell her. "I'll be in danger of a broken heart. Henry, in your long life, haven't you seen that avoiding hurt never works?"

"I have heard that argument before," he said. He reached for her breast with a soft touch. "Then she left me."

"I might do that, too," Jo said. "Or I won't."

"I would never hurt you intentionally," Henry said.

"I know," Jo said. "So I think we can risk that second date."

Henry kissed her, his hand still on her breast. Jo said, "So you're a breast man."

"I am an all the beauty of a woman man. But you do have wonderful breasts," he said.

"Thank you," she said.

A week later, Henry tried to dump her again. For her own good. He was spooked about something or someone. Someone had slit his throat that time. She wondered if he would ever tell her. He was saying something to her about being careful and moving too fast. She rolled her eyes. She stood up close against him, feeling how quickly her proximity aroused him. She said, "If I get hit by a bus tomorrow, we won't have moved too fast. We'll have moved too slow."

"You're not likely to get hit by a bus," Henry said. She took his hands and put them on her breasts. "You are cheating."

"I'm persuading," Jo said. "You can sigh and make sad eyes about me because we just couldn't be, or you could take me to your bedroom and put all that off for weeks, maybe years."

His hands were already unbuttoning her blouse. Thank goodness they were in his kitchen and he hadn't tried to start this nonsense at the precinct. He said, "You are going to get tired of having to argue with me about this."

"That's all on you," she said, smiling. "Be convinced."

"I will certainly try," Henry said.

Everyone knew. They were all pretty smug about Jo and Henry getting together, like they expected it. Except Lucas who was 'unbelievably stoked.'

A month into their relationship, they had a lazy Sunday morning. Jo laid in bed naked, reading her tablet and idly watching Murder She Wrote on Netflix. Henry, also naked, was reading the entire Sunday New York Times just like she expected. He would also pipe up and point out that they were getting the deaths all wrong. "But I do like Amelia Fletcher, of course," Henry said.

"You actually watched TV at some point in your life?"

Henry lightly ran his hand up and down her bare thigh. He said, "Abe's fault. He is actually a fanatic for Angela Lansbury."

"Who isn't?"

Henry put down the travel section. He said, "We should vacation."

"Leave New York City?" She smiled at him. "Let me guess, you've been everywhere in the world."

"I have not," Henry said. "I've never been to Antarctica."

"Sounds like lousy vacation spot," Jo said. Henry opened his mouth. She said, "Please don't tell me the health hazards of extreme cold and Antarctica specifically."

Judging by her observation of Henry, he came back to life naked in rivers. Where would he go if he was killed in the Sahara desert? She said, "Even with the health risks, have you seen that hotel made of ice? I don't remember where it is, Norway? Finland?"

"Sweden," Henry said. "I've never stayed there, but it does look beautiful."

If Henry came back to life naked in a freezing sea covered with ice would he die again and again in a loop? She wished he would tell her so she could ask him. "I would have to get a passport," Jo said.

"You should get one immediately, so we can plan ahead," Henry said. He looked a little taken back at himself.

"We should plan ahead," Jo said. "I am in favor of planning ahead."

"It's not something I've done a lot of lately," Henry said. "But then there was you."

"Same here," Jo said. "Aren't you glad I keep talking you out of breaking up with me?"

He smiled. "It was twice."

"Two times too many," Jo said.

Henry pushed the paper off the bed and plucked Jo's tablet away to place it on the bedside table. "I would like to acknowledge the errors of my two attempts to break up with you," he said, moving on top of her.

"You have the best ideas," Jo said.


End file.
